Songs
Moi stikhi, 'To my verses'
by Dmitri Shostakovich From Shest' stikhotvorenii Marini Cvetajevoj, 'Six Poems by Marina Tsvetaeva' (1973) Op. 143
Text & Translation
Moi stikhi, 'To my verses'
Russian source:
Marina Tsvetaeva
Chto i ne znala ya, chto ya – poet,
Sorvavshimsya, kak bryzgi iz fontana,
Kak iskry iz raket,
Vorvavshimsya, kak malen’kie cherty,
V svyatilishche, gde son i fimiam,
Moim stikham o yunosti i smerti,
– Nechitannym stikham! –
Razbrosannym v pyli po magazinam
(Gde ikh nikto ne bral i ne beryot!),
Moim stikham, kak dragotsennym vinam,
Nastanet svoi cheryod!
To my verses
English translation ©
Philip Ross Bullock
That I didn’t even know I was a poet,
Darting, like water splashing from a fountain,
Like sparks from rockets,
Bursting, like little devils,
Into the sanctuary where peace and incense reign,
My verses about youthfulness and death,
– Verses never read! –
Scattered in the dust of bookshops
(Where no one has ever bought them, and never will!),
My verses, like precious wines –
Their time will come!
Moi stikhi, 'To my verses'
Russian source:
Marina Tsvetaeva
To my verses
English source:
Philip Ross Bullock
Moim stikham, napisannym tak rano,
My verses, which were written so early on,
Chto i ne znala ya, chto ya – poet,
That I didn’t even know I was a poet,
Sorvavshimsya, kak bryzgi iz fontana,
Darting, like water splashing from a fountain,
Kak iskry iz raket,
Like sparks from rockets,
Vorvavshimsya, kak malen’kie cherty,
Bursting, like little devils,
V svyatilishche, gde son i fimiam,
Into the sanctuary where peace and incense reign,
Moim stikham o yunosti i smerti,
My verses about youthfulness and death,
– Nechitannym stikham! –
– Verses never read! –
Razbrosannym v pyli po magazinam
Scattered in the dust of bookshops
(Gde ikh nikto ne bral i ne beryot!),
(Where no one has ever bought them, and never will!),
Moim stikham, kak dragotsennym vinam,
My verses, like precious wines –
Nastanet svoi cheryod!
Their time will come!
Composer
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer and pianist. He achieved fame in the Soviet Union, although later developed a more complex and difficult relationship with the government. As a composer, he combined a variety of different musical…
